Meet an offensive lineman: Hank Michalski, Neuqua Valley

Daily Herald Report

In the trenches with ...

Neuqua Valley's Hank Michalski

Year: Senior.

Best thing about being an offensive lineman: I think probably knowing that you're like the starting point of everything and that without you the offense doesn't really click. You have to have the line to get the run game going and block for the pass. Also, it feels great when you seal off a linebacker and then the running back cuts behind your block and you know your block sprung a big play.

Worst thing about being an offensive lineman: It's always your fault. If the run game is not going well then there isn't enough push on the line; if the pass is not going well then there isn't enough protection. Just that kind of thing.

Don't tell my coach that: Last night for dinner I had a half of a Lou Malnati's pizza, a giant piece of pumpkin pie and a soda.

If I could change one thing about football: Sometimes there's too many rules about hitting people hard. I don't know if it applies to high school very much, but in the NFL it seems like every time there's a big hit it's an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Team not on our schedule I wish we could play: I kind of want to play either Mt. Carmel or Montini, because I know one of Montini's offensive linemen (Grant Branch). We played together when we were little, so it'd be fun to play against him. Then Mt. Carmel beat us a couple years ago in the playoffs so I'd want to beat them, too.

How I'll celebrate if I score a TD: I probably wouldn't know what to do. I'd probably just give the ball to the official and run back to the huddle.

Twitter, Facebook or Instagram: Probably Twitter just because more people are on it and it's easier to stay connected with football on there.

What I like best about my school: Everyone has the same identity of being a Wildcat and the pride in it, especially in sports. Everyone's part of one team for one goal, to win a state championship.

Something about me that would surprise you: I probably don't sleep as much as I should, but I don't know if that's really surprising for a teenager. I usually stay up to around midnight, studying. (Hank got a 35 on his ACT.)

Other sports I play: I played baseball. I haven't played for Neuqua, but I still play in the summer for the Naperville Baseball Association, and I just played travel (Force Elite) last year, but that's over.

Other school activities: I'm in the Chamber Orchestra. I play the double bass.

Favorite actor: I don't really think I have one.

Favorite actress: Same thing, I don't think I have one, either. I guess maybe Morgan Freeman for the actor.

Favorite athlete: That plays now, Paul Konerko. Forever, Hank Aaron.

Favorite musician: I don't think I have one of those, either. It's just kind of whatever song I like.

The Quote:

"We're a good football team and there's nobody in the world that can write whatever they want to write, blog whatever they want to blog to make me think anything different. It's a good football team. We just haven't found a way to close out a game in the last three weeks. We could very easily be 6-1 right now based on the games we've played."

- Glenbard East coach John Walters after Saturday's 42-36 loss at South Elgin

The Stat:

1,184

With Brad Sznajder's 229-yard effort in Benet's 24-21 win over Carmel, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior running back now owns the program record for rushing yards in a season with 1,184. Sznajder, who also broke the all-time rushing mark at Benet on Friday, broke Tom Marth's previous record of 1,086 yards that stood for 30 years.

The Schedule:

Friday's games

Manteno at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Benet at Joliet Catholic Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Coal City at Lisle, 7:15 p.m.

Fenton at Wheaton Academy, 7 p.m.

Fenwick at Montini, 7:30 p.m.

Glenbard North at Wheaton Warrenville South, 7:30 p.m.

Hinsdale South at Morton, 7:30 p.m.

IC Catholic Prep at Glenbard South, 7:15 p.m.

Leyden at Willowbrook, 7:30 p.m.

Metea Valley at Glenbard East, 7:30 p.m.

Naperville Central at Lake Park, 7:30 p.m.

Naperville North at Wheaton North, 7:30 p.m.

Oak Park-River Forest at Hinsdale Central, 7:30 p.m.

Proviso West at Downers Grove North, 7:30 p.m.

St. Francis at Chicago DeLaSalle, 7:30 p.m.

Waubonsie Valley at Neuqua Valley, 7:30 p.m.

York at Lyons Township, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday's games

Addison Trail at Glenbard West, 1:30 p.m.

Downers Grove South at Proviso East, 1:30 p.m.

West Chicago at Streamwood, 1:30 p.m.

The Standings:

Chicago Catholic Green

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Fenwick 5-2 2-0 -

Marmion 5-2 2-1 0.5

St. Francis 5-2 1-1 1

Montini 4-3 1-1 1

De La Salle 1-6 0-3 2.5

DuPage Valley

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Naperville Central 6-1 3-0 -

Lake Park 5-2 2-1 1

WW South 3-4 2-1 1

Glenbard North 3-4 1-2 2

Wheaton North 2-5 1-2 2

Naperville North 2-5 0-3 3

East Suburban Catholic

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Nazareth 7-0 5-0 -

Joliet Catholic 5-2 4-1 1

Benet 5-2 3-2 2

Carmel 4-3 3-2 2

Marist 4-3 3-2 2

St. Viator 4-3 3-2 2

Marian Central 4-3 2-3 3

Notre Dame 3-4 2-3 3

St. Patrick 2-5 0-5 5

Marian Catholic 1-6 0-5 5

Interstate Eight Small

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Wilmington 7-0 5-0 -

Herscher 5-2 4-1 1

Westmont 4-3 3-2 2

Seneca 4-3 2-3 3

Reed-Custer 1-6 1-4 4

Lisle 1-6 0-5 5

Metro Suburban West

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Glenbard South 5-2 3-0 -

Riverside-Brookfield 5-2 3-0 -

IC Catholic Prep 3-4 2-1 1

Aurora Central Catholic 5-2 1-2 2

Fenton 4-3 0-3 3

Wheaton Academy 4-3 0-3 3

Upstate Eight River

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Geneva 7-0 5-0 -

Batavia 6-1 5-0 -

St. Charles North 5-2 3-2 2

St. Charles East 3-4 3-2 2

West Chicago 3-4 2-3 3

Streamwood 2-5 2-3 3

Elgin 0-7 0-5 5

Larkin 0-7 0-5 5

Upstate Eight Valley

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Neuqua Valley 5-2 5-0 -

Waubonsie Valley 6-1 4-1 1

Metea Valley 4-3 3-2 2

South Elgin 4-3 3-2 2

Bartlett 3-4 2-3 3

West Aurora 2-5 2-3 3

Glenbard East 3-4 1-4 4

East Aurora 0-7 0-5 5

West Suburban Gold

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Addison Trail 7-0 5-0 -

Downers South 5-2 3-1 1.5

Hinsdale South 5-2 3-1 1.5

Morton 2-5 2-3 3

Leyden 1-6 1-3 3.5

Willowbrook 1-6 1-3 3.5

Proviso East 1-6 0-4 4.5

West Suburban Silver

School All Conf. GB

W-L W-L

Glenbard West 7-0 5-0 -

Oak Park-River Forest 6-1 4-1 1

Hinsdale Central 5-2 3-1 1.5

York 4-3 1-3 3.5

Lyons Twp. 3-4 1-3 3.5

Downers North 2-5 1-3 3.5

Proviso West 2-5 0-4 4.5